Method of and means for tacking articles



Oct. 29, 1935. H. CORRALL METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TACKING ARTICLES 5 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1933 Herbert fiorrall 3 Sheets-Sheet awe/14M Herberi Qorra ll H. CORRALL METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TACKING ARTICLES Filed Dec. 14, 1933 Oct 29, 1-935.

r L llllllllllhHllllJ Get. 29, 1935. H. CORR ALL METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TACKING ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 14, 1953 Herberi Carroll Patented Get. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TACKING ARTICLES Application December 14, 1933, Serial No. 702,279 In Great Britain January 30, 1933 8 Claims. (01. 112-252) This invention relates to a method of machine-tacking and to sewing machines used in the performance of such method.

As is understood, in the stocking trade, for example, it is the practice to tack together stockings or socks forming a pair at the heel, toe and top to hold the pair of articles together when handling before sale. customarily the tack consists of one or two stitches efiected by hand with the use of a heavy soft brightly coloured thread, which enables the articles to be tacked in the majority of cases without damage to the fabric. With the use of existing automatic tacking machines for this operation there is a liability to damage the fabric by pulling the thread into a knot when attempting to part the articles.

Also in the manufacture of clothing and other goods it is customary to tack to the articles in I the course of manufacture operators tickets the removal of which involves loss of time as well as liability to damage of the tickets.

According to the present invention the tacking operation is effected by means of a singlethread chain-stitch automatic tacking machine contrived to form a predetermined number of stitches and to effect the withdrawal of the thread from the final loop at the completion of the tack, whereby to leave the thread-end free and projecting, so that the operator or customer can, by pulling on the free end, instantly remove the tack without risk of damaging the fabric.

For efiecting withdrawal of the thread there may be employed a stationary or a movable fini ger which is positioned beneath the needle in the formation of the final stitch or stitches, and the movement of which finger by the raising of the work clamp upon completion of the tacking operation results in the withdrawal of the thread from the final loop.

By way of example, in an automatic tacking machine provided with a cam wheel presenting a cam face acting on a follower for effecting vibratory movement of the work laterally of the needle at least one additional cam element may be provided on the cam wheel for effecting operation of a finger movable to a position beneath the needle in the formation of the final stitch or stitches of the tack, so that the last stitch will be made thereover, whereby such finger is operative to withdraw the thread from the final loop.

Alternatively, in a machine fitted with a skeleton work-clamp and adapted to produce a tack in the form of a geometrical figure, a finger may be fixed to the clamp in position to lie beneath the needle in the formation of the final stitch, so that on lifting the clamp and removing the work the thread is withdrawn from the final loop.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an automatic tacking machine of generally known construction fitted with a device for withdrawing the loop from the final stitch; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view and Fig. 3 an end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation, Fig. 5 a plan and Fig. 6 an end elevation of an automatic tacking machine adapted to produce a tack in the form of a geometrical figure. Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the work-clamp.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the machine is formed with the usual frame comprising the standard I, work-supporting arm 2 and overhanging bracket-arm 3 terminating in the head 4 for the usual reciprocatory needle-bar 5 carrying the needle 6. The head 4 also has mounted in it the usual manually operated work-clampopening bar I to the lower end of which is fixed a lateral arm 8 extending under the hooked upper end of a post 9 rising from the front end of the upper clamp-bar Ill. The upper clamp-bar I0 is fulcrumed at its rearward end in the usual ful- 4 crum block H rising from the lower clamp-bar l2 and is yieldingly depressed by the leaf-spring I 3. The work is clamped between the lower plate l4 and the upper apertured foot l5 fixed, respectively, to the front'ends of the lower and upper clamp-bars l2 and I0.

Cooperating with the reciprocatory needle 6 is the usual rotary chain-stitch looper Hi; the needle and looper being connected in the usual manner to be driven by the main shaft I! the period of operation of which is controlled by the usual stop-motion device I8.

At the end of each tacking operation the thread is out below the work by a suitable automatic thread-cutting mechanism l9 which may be constructed substantially in accordance with the disclosure of the U. S.-Patent to Fifield, No. 1,841,102, of Jan. 12, 1932. Such a thread-cutter cuts one limb of the last needle-loop retained on the looper 16 as the machine comes to rest.

The work-clamp is moved upon the arm 2 to group the stitches in the desired order or arrangement by means of the usual connections with the feed-cam 20 which is driven by the main-shaft I! through a worm-drive 2|.

The machine of the foregoing description is the well known Singer No. 114-31 tacking machine the work-clamp of which is reciprocated to-and-frolongitudinally of the bed 2 and without any side motion. The machine when started, makes a tack of 7 needle-thrusts or stitches and the finishing end of needle thread, as severed by the thread-cutter, protrudes through and locks the last needle-loop at the under side of the work.

According to the invention there is fulcrumed on the screw 22 attached to the under side of the upper clamp-bar l0, a lever 23 having at its front end a laterally extendingfinger 24 overlying the apertured upper clamp foot l5 and having in its upper face a thread-receiving groove 25. The lever 23 has fixed to its rearward end an upward extension 26 formed with a cam-incline 21, Fig. 3. Mounted on the periphery of the feed-cam 20 are cam-pieces 28 arranged to actuate a lever 29 fulcrumed at 30 on the frame-pedestal. 3| and. having at its free end a roller 32 arranged to engage the cam-incline 21 and swing the lever 23 topro-' ject the finger 24 into the stitching zone of the needle 6 in the formation of the final stitch, so i that the needle will lay the thread over the finger 24 and in the groove 25 thereof as it makes its final thrust into the material. Upon opening the work-clamp and removing the work therefrom the finishing end of needle-thread extending below the work through the final loop will be withdrawn from such loop to the upper side of the work, whereby the tack may be'readily unraveled at any time by merely pulling upon the upwardly protruding thread-end.

When the machine is again started for the formation of a new tack, the finger 24 is retracted to ineffective position, Figs. 2 and 3, by the recovery spring 23 before the needle makes its second descent and hence will not catch the sewing thread during the sewing of the tack until the last stitch is to be made when the finger is again projected to a position over the sewing aperture the foot I5 by the next 01' the series'of cam-plates 28 on the feed-cam 20.

In Figs. 4 to 7, inclusive, there is illustrated the well known Singer No. 114-27 machine embodying the invention in a modified form. This machine is adapted for sewing a paper ticket to clothing by a group of stitches ortack in the form of a triangle. It embodies substantially the same stitch-forming mechanism, thread-cutting mechanism and work-clamp as the previously described machine with the exception that the upper clamp-foot 33 is formed with a triangular aperture 34 within which the triangular tack is formed by the needle 35 of the stitch-forming devices.

Fixed to the clamp foot 33 within the triangular opening 34 is a finger 36 in such position as to be stitched over by the needle in the formation or". the final stitch, whereby upon lifting the clamp-foot and removing the work the finishing thread-end will be withdrawn from the final loop.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a single-thread tacking machine, stitchforming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a chain-stitch looper, a work-clamp, a feed-cam and connections for relatively moving the stitch-forming mechanism and work-clamp in the production of a group of stitches, a stopmotion device, and a thread-end pull-out finger at the needle'side of the work positioned to be stitched over by the needle in its last downstroke.

2. In a single-thread tacking machine, stitchforming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a chain-stitch looper, a work-clamp, a feed-cam and connections for relatively moving the stitch-forming mechanism and work-clamp in the production of a predetermined group of stitches, a stop-motion device, a thread-end pullout finger disposed at the needle side of the work, and means for moving said finger from a retracted position to a position within the zone of the last two needle-thrusts, whereby engagement of the pull-out finger and the thread of the last stitch above the work is efiected.

'3. In a single-thread tacking machine, stitch- 5 forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a chain-stitch looper, a work-clamp, a

feed-cam and connections for relatively moving the stitch-forming mechanism and work-clamp in the production of a group of stitches, a stopmotion device, means for severing the needlethread below the work, and means at the upper side of the work for withdrawing the finishing thread-end of the tack from the final loop.

4. In a single chain-stitch tacking machine 15 adapted to sew a predetermined number of stitches and then come to rest, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle and a single-chain-stitch looper, a work-holder, means for relatively moving the 20 needle and work-holder to sew a group of stitches, and a thread pull-out device arranged at the needle side of the work so that the last stitch of the group will be laid thereover.

5. In a single-chain-stitch tacking machine 25' adapted to sew a predetermined number of stitches and then come to rest, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle and a single-chain-stitch looper, means including an upper clamp-foot for hold- I0 ing the work during a sewing period, means for relatively moving the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means to sew a group of stitches, a stop-motion device, and means mounted on said upper clamp-foot for pulling the fln- I! ishing thread-end of the group of stitches back through the last thread-loop of such group.

6. In a single-chain-stitch tacking machine adapted to sew a predetermined number of stitches and then come to rest, in combination, 40 stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle and a single-chain-stitch looper, means including an upper clamp-foot for holding the work during a sewing period, means for relatively moving the stitch-forming mechanism 45 and work-holding means to sew a group oi stitches, a. stop-motion device, and a thread pullout device mounted on said upper clamp-foot in position for the last stitch of the group to be laid thereover.

7. In a single-chain-stitch tacking machine adapted to sew a predetermined number of stitches and then come to rest, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle and a single-chain-stitch looper, a 55 work-holder, means for relatively moving the needle and work-holder to sew a group of stitches,

a stop-motion device, a thread-cutter, a thread pull-out finger disposed outside of the stitching zone during the sewing, and automatic means for 60 projecting said finger into the stitching zone in time and in position for the last stitch of the group to be formed thereover.

8. Method of tacking articles by means of a single-thread chain-stitch sewing machine, charg5 acterized by the steps of so positioning a threadend pull-out device at the needle side of the work that the last stitch formed by the machine will be laid over said device, and subsequently relatively moving such device and the work to pull 0 the finishing thread end out of the final loop.

HERBERT CORRALL. 

